Archives for July 21, 2018

The National Trade Union Center (NTUC) held an agitation in Kurunegala yesterday (20th) demanding salary increase to cope with the Cost of Living (COL), bring back the withdrawn pension scheme, withdraw white papers that destroy EPF fund and stop selling state resources.

The NTUC has already commenced a struggle to win the aforementioned demands and the agitation at Kurunegala was held as a part of the struggle. The agitation and protest campaigns would be held throughout the island said the President of NTUC K.D. Lal Kantha.

A large number of textbooks necessary for the education of Sri Lankan students studying at Sri Lanka school at Muscat in Oman were donated to the Principal of the school by the President of ‘Ethera Api’ organization JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunneththi today (21st). The donation was the result of a request made by the school to ‘Ethera Api’ organization.
The Treasurer of Oman branch of ‘Ethera Api’ organization Ruwan Chanaka and the Principal of Sri Lanka School in Oman Mr Neil Subasinghe were present.

Former Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Ms Dilrukshi Dias Wickremesinghe had to resign from her position as she had carried out an investigation the President had asked not to be carried out says the Information Secretary of the JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath. Mr Herath revealed this when he took part in the debate on Bribery (amendment) bill held yesterday (20th).
Mr Herath said CIABOC had carried out investigations in connection with several ministers of the ‘yahapalana’ government on complaints received by the Commission, one minister was summoned and was questioned and the minister who got alarmed had met the President to get the investigations stopped. Despite the President requesting the investigations to be stopped the Director General of CIABOC Ms Dilrukshi Dias Wickremesinghe continued with investigations which caused her to relinquish her position.
At the time social media reported that Ms Dilrukshi Dias Wickremesinghe had to go home as the President had interfered when Minister Rajitha Senaratna was summoned to CIABOC and questioned and CIABOC was preparing to file legal action against Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and several others.

Seven persons including former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and former of the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) have been noticed to appear before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court on 7th September over the complaint that the D.A. Rajapaksa Museum and Memorial in Medamulana was allegedly built using LRDC funds amounting to Rs.81.3 million.
The FCID informed the court yesterday that investigations regarding the relevant charges have been completed and the reports have been sent to the Attorney General’s Department.
Filing a ‘B’ report in Court against the suspects the FCID stated that more than Rs.81 million had been spent from funds of the LRDC to construct the D.A. Rajapaksa memorial museum for which suspects Gotabhaya Rajapaksa or other suspects had no legal right to do so and requested Court to make an order for the suspects to be present in Court.
According to the request made by the FCID Colombo Additional Magistrate Ms. Kanchana de Silva made the order for Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, LRDC Chairman Prasad Harshan de Silva, Bhadra Udulawathi Kamalabada, Sudammika Keminda Artigala, Saman Kumara Abraham Galappatti, Devage Mahinda Saliya and Srimathi Mallika Kumari Senadheera to appear in Court on 7th September.

The District Secretary of Lanka Teacher Services Union (LTSU) branch of the Central Province Gamagedera Dissanayaka has said teachers throughout the island are prepared to take trade union action of keeping away from duties after submitting sick leave on the 26th July to protest against the move to provide various appointments on the pretext of making amends for political victimization by the previous regime so that teachers who are qualified for promotions are handicapped.
He said despite there are 1011 persons qualified to get promotions in various grades in the education sector, giving appointments to political supporters has hindered their opportunities. He added that some of those who have been given political promotions are those who have enjoyed all the benefits and those who have remained in the serving school for 10 or 15 years.